Save the Planet! Stop Landfill Introduction Our environment is in danger. The melting ice caps, the changing ocean currents, the changing weather, the endangering species and the evolving diseases are impacting our society today. The reason to this changing natural environment is because it is greatly affected by pollution. There are different causes of pollution; one of the greatest causes of this phenomenon is landfill. Landfill is a waste disposal method that buries waste under the soil to fill in low grounds. In these landfill sites, different kinds of waste, materials and substances are dumped and covered up by soil. According to the Environmental Literacy Council, “in 2006, approximately 26 percent of materials entering landfills were paper products, 10 percent food scraps, 16 percent plastic, 9 percent rubber, leather and other textiles, 7 percent each of yard waste, metals and wood, and 6 percent grass.” (2006) Some of these materials may include toxic substances that could be harmful to not only the environment, but also to animals and humans. The biggest impact that landfills can bring to the community is the pollution of ground water. It can also pollute the air by releasing methane gases. The problem with landfill does not only limit to pollution. In third world countries which use this type of waste management, landfills can raise disease infections by attracting rats and insects to the area. Even though landfill is harmful to the society, it is still one of the most popular waste management methods today. Impacts Landfills are dangerous to the society. The burial of waste into the underground is just the beginning of the damage to the environment. Hazardous wastes such as kitchen supplies, household waste and plastic is often mixed into the landfills. After the waste decomposes under the soil, it releases toxic substances to the air and to the ground water. It also contaminates the soil during and after landfill usage. The biggest problem with landfill sites is it can result pollution to the ground water caused by landfill leachate. According to the Investigating Rivers, Landfill leachate is the main source pollution. Landfill leachate is when liquid drains from landfill to the ground water. It is created when rain water falls on the landfill sites; it dissolves the organic and inorganic materials, which results a highly toxic leachate. The groundwater eventually flows out to the river which also pollutes the water. According to Wikipedia, Landfill leachate contains high organic contaminant concentrations and high ammoniacal nitrogen. Landfills with organic material also produce methane, which also dissolves into the soil and to the leachate. These chemicals can affect our health in many ways. According to Health Canada, “...toxic metals arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury commonly found in leachate pose the greatest risk.” (2004.) Arsenic leads to hyperkeratosis and keratosis on hands and feet. Cadmium can cause chronic poisoning which affects the kidneys. Lead is harmful for children for they have the higher risk of lead poisoning for adults are more immune to lead. Lead poisoning can also cause chronic effects such as kidney failure, gout and hypertension. Mercury builds up in erythrocytes then it spreads to parts such as liver and brain. It can affect the body causing kidney failure, neuropathies, paresthesia, vision and hearing loss, emotional instability, and irritability. Landfills not only create leachates, but it also creates greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide and methane. This is caused by the fermentation of the organic materials in the waste. Even though they are both green house gases, methane is more harmful to the world. According to Green House Gas Online.org, “global methane emissions from landfill are estimated to be between 30 and 70 million tonnes each year. Most of this landfill methane currently comes from developed countries, where the levels of waste tend to be highest.” (2006) Methane gases are not created only during the landfill, but also after the site is shutdown. It is because the gases are created after the waste slowly decays under the ground. Methane gases break out in two different ways. It goes directly to the atmosphere or through diffusion of the soil. According to Health Canada, “the accumulation of CH4 in confined spaces or enclosed structures can result in asphyxia, explosions, fires, which may cause injury or loss of life. According to Health Canada, other impacts of landfills include: ·Malodours due to sulphur compounds and organic acids; ·Dust, particulates, and waste carried by the wind; ·Vermin (rats and small wild mammals) and some birds, such as gulls,
that are attracted by organic waste; and ·Increased heavy vehicle traffic (noise, dust, risk of accidents); ·Decline in the property value of nearby homes; ·Presence of malodours; and ·Heavy vehicle traffic. What Can We Do? What can we do to save our planet from pollution from landfill? Methods such as containment are proposed to the question. According to Investigating Rivers, “new methods are based on the idea of containment. Landfills are lined with clay and flexible synthetic membranes intended to prevent leachate escaping and contaminating the groundwater.” (2006) This method is not a long term cure to this issue. Compaction of waste can only stable leachate and stop the gas from releasing to the air for about 30 years. Other ways of preventing landfill from polluting the environment include recycling. Separating waste in different categories can not only stop air and water pollution, but also prevent waste of reusable materials and reduce the use of energy. Things such as glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles and electronics can be recycled. However, things such as house and garden wastes cannot be recycled. Recycled wastes are to be collected and sorted for cleaning and reproduction into new materials. Recycling plays an important role to recent waste management. It also plays a big role in the Waste Management Hierarchy for it is the third element of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” slogan. According to the reuseablebags.com, “in a landfill, plastic bags, take up to 1000 years to degrade, As litter, they breakdown into tiny bits, contaminating our soil and water.” Another method that can be used is to prevent from using products such as plastic bags and plastic bottles which end up being thrown away. Use reusable water bottles to supplement the habit of buying plastic bottle of water. Also, instead of using plastic bags to pack bought groceries from a supermarket, use reusable shopping bags or tote bags to replace plastic bags. Also recently, countries such as Germany and Switzerland have forbidden the disposal of harmful waste in landfills. In an article from the Globe and Mail, it states: “Germany has been leading the world in green living, with a history of environmentalism that spawned the Green Party, an ordered society that has long adopted recycling as a cultural norm, strict plans to scale back the amount of household waste sent to landfill, and technology that makes sorting the recyclable materials ever-easier.” (2008) Germany recycles approximately 62 percent of its lightweight packaging into new products or fuel. Comparing to countries such as France, Germany are 20 percent higher of recycling. According to the Globe and Mail, “In 2006, each German collected an average of 64 kilograms of recyclable packages, glass and paper — saving the amount of energy needed to power 1.1 million households.” (2008) Recycling does not only stop air and water pollution, it also avoid the waste of reusable materials and saves energy. Conclusion It is critical for us to act quickly to reduce landfill pollution. Leachate of landfill causes pollution to the groundwater which harms humans, animals and the environment. The diffusion of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane can speed up the global warming process. Landfills also produce dust, vermin and malodours. Landfills does not only effect the environmentally but also socially. It disturbs the neighbourhood for its malodours and noises from heavy vehicles. In order to help our community, the biggest contribution that we can make is to recycle reusable waste and avoid using products such as plastic bags which eventually ends up in trash. Landfill pollution must be put to a stop for our natural environment is declining rapidly. We are the biggest solutions to help save our planet. Works Cited Canadian Handbook on Health Impact Assessment - Volume 4: Health Impacts By Industry Sector. Rep. 2004. Health Canada. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval/handbook-guide/vol_4/mining-miniere-eng.php#5.3.4.2>. Canadian Handbook on Health Impact Assessment - Volume 4: Health Impacts By Industry Sector. 2004. Health Canada. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval/handbook-guide/vol_4/management-gestion-eng.php>. Globe and Mail 22 Apr. 2008. Recycling, German style. 22 Apr. 2008. The Globe and Mail. 04 Feb. 2009 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080422.green-recycle-0422/BNStory/greensolutions/home>. Landfill. Dictionary.com. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Landfill>. Landfill. 4 Feb. 2009. Wikipedia. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill>. Landfills. 2 Apr. 2008. The Environmental Literacy Council. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/63.html>. Pollution From Landfill. Investigating Rivers. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/rivers/gt%20stour%20case%20study-pages/plln-lfll.html>. The Real Cost of "Free" Reusablebags.com. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=2>. Recycling. 4 Feb. 2009. Wikipedia. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling>. Sources of Methane - Landfill. 2006. GreenHouse Gas Online.org. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ghgonline.org/methanelandfill.htm>.
Save the Planet! Stop LandfillIntroduction
Our environment is in danger. The melting ice caps, the changing ocean currents, the changing weather, the endangering species and the evolving diseases are impacting our society today. The reason to this changing natural environment is because it is greatly affected by pollution.
There are different causes of pollution; one of the greatest causes of this phenomenon is landfill. Landfill is a waste disposal method that buries waste under the soil to fill in low grounds. In these landfill sites, different kinds of waste, materials and substances are dumped and covered up by soil. According to the Environmental Literacy Council, “in 2006, approximately 26 percent of materials entering landfills were paper products, 10 percent food scraps, 16 percent plastic, 9 percent rubber, leather and other textiles, 7 percent each of yard waste, metals and wood, and 6 percent grass.” (2006) Some of these materials may include toxic substances that could be harmful to not only the environment, but also to animals and humans. The biggest impact that landfills can bring to the community is the pollution of ground water. It can also pollute the air by releasing methane gases. The problem with landfill does not only limit to pollution. In third world countries which use this type of waste management, landfills can raise disease infections by attracting rats and insects to the area. Even though landfill is harmful to the society, it is still one of the most popular waste management methods today.
Impacts
Landfills are dangerous to the society. The burial of waste into the underground is just the beginning of the damage to the environment. Hazardous wastes such as kitchen supplies, household waste and plastic is often mixed into the landfills. After the waste decomposes under the soil, it releases toxic substances to the air and to the ground water. It also contaminates the soil during and after landfill usage. The biggest problem with landfill sites is it can result pollution to the ground water caused by landfill leachate. According to the Investigating Rivers, Landfill leachate is the main source pollution.
Landfill leachate is when liquid drains from landfill to the ground water. It is created when rain water falls on the landfill sites; it dissolves the organic and inorganic materials, which results a highly toxic leachate. The groundwater eventually flows out to the river which also pollutes the water. According to Wikipedia, Landfill leachate contains high organic contaminant concentrations and high ammoniacal nitrogen. Landfills with organic material also produce methane, which also dissolves into the soil and to the leachate. These chemicals can affect our health in many ways. According to Health Canada, “...toxic metals arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury commonly found in leachate pose the greatest risk.” (2004.) Arsenic leads to hyperkeratosis and keratosis on hands and feet. Cadmium can cause chronic poisoning which affects the kidneys. Lead is harmful for children for they have the higher risk of lead poisoning for adults are more immune to lead. Lead poisoning can also cause chronic effects such as kidney failure, gout and hypertension. Mercury builds up in erythrocytes then it spreads to parts such as liver and brain. It can affect the body causing kidney failure, neuropathies, paresthesia, vision and hearing loss, emotional instability, and irritability.
Landfills not only create leachates, but it also creates greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide and methane. This is caused by the fermentation of the organic materials in the waste. Even though they are both green house gases, methane is more harmful to the world. According to Green House Gas Online.org, “global methane emissions from landfill are estimated to be between 30 and 70 million tonnes each year. Most of this landfill methane currently comes from developed countries, where the levels of waste tend to be highest.” (2006) Methane gases are not created only during the landfill, but also after the site is shutdown. It is because the gases are created after the waste slowly decays under the ground. Methane gases break out in two different ways. It goes directly to the atmosphere or through diffusion of the soil. According to Health Canada, “the accumulation of CH4 in confined spaces or enclosed structures can result in asphyxia, explosions, fires, which may cause injury or loss of life.
According to Health Canada, other impacts of landfills include:
· Malodours due to sulphur compounds and organic acids;
· Dust, particulates, and waste carried by the wind;
· Vermin (rats and small wild mammals) and some birds, such as gulls,
that are attracted by organic waste; and
· Increased heavy vehicle traffic (noise, dust, risk of accidents);
· Decline in the property value of nearby homes;
· Presence of malodours; and
· Heavy vehicle traffic.
What Can We Do?
What can we do to save our planet from pollution from landfill? Methods such as containment are proposed to the question. According to Investigating Rivers, “new methods are based on the idea of containment. Landfills are lined with clay and flexible synthetic membranes intended to prevent leachate escaping and contaminating the groundwater.” (2006) This method is not a long term cure to this issue. Compaction of waste can only stable leachate and stop the gas from releasing to the air for about 30 years.
Other ways of preventing landfill from polluting the environment include recycling. Separating waste in different categories can not only stop air and water pollution, but also prevent waste of reusable materials and reduce the use of energy. Things such as glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles and electronics can be recycled. However, things such as house and garden wastes cannot be recycled. Recycled wastes are to be collected and sorted for cleaning and reproduction into new materials. Recycling plays an important role to recent waste management. It also plays a big role in the Waste Management Hierarchy for it is the third element of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” slogan.
According to the reuseablebags.com, “in a landfill, plastic bags, take up to 1000 years to degrade, As litter, they breakdown into tiny bits, contaminating our soil and water.” Another method that can be used is to prevent from using products such as plastic bags and plastic bottles which end up being thrown away. Use reusable water bottles to supplement the habit of buying plastic bottle of water. Also, instead of using plastic bags to pack bought groceries from a supermarket, use reusable shopping bags or tote bags to replace plastic bags.
Also recently, countries such as Germany and Switzerland have forbidden the disposal of harmful waste in landfills. In an article from the Globe and Mail, it states:
“Germany has been leading the world in green living, with a history of environmentalism that spawned the Green Party, an ordered society that has long adopted recycling as a cultural norm, strict plans to scale back the amount of household waste sent to landfill, and technology that makes sorting the recyclable materials ever-easier.” (2008)
Germany recycles approximately 62 percent of its lightweight packaging into new products or fuel. Comparing to countries such as France, Germany are 20 percent higher of recycling. According to the Globe and Mail, “In 2006, each German collected an average of 64 kilograms of recyclable packages, glass and paper — saving the amount of energy needed to power 1.1 million households.” (2008) Recycling does not only stop air and water pollution, it also avoid the waste of reusable materials and saves energy.
Conclusion
It is critical for us to act quickly to reduce landfill pollution. Leachate of landfill causes pollution to the groundwater which harms humans, animals and the environment. The diffusion of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane can speed up the global warming process. Landfills also produce dust, vermin and malodours. Landfills does not only effect the environmentally but also socially. It disturbs the neighbourhood for its malodours and noises from heavy vehicles. In order to help our community, the biggest contribution that we can make is to recycle reusable waste and avoid using products such as plastic bags which eventually ends up in trash. Landfill pollution must be put to a stop for our natural environment is declining rapidly. We are the biggest solutions to help save our planet.
Works Cited
Canadian Handbook on Health Impact Assessment - Volume 4: Health Impacts By Industry Sector. Rep. 2004. Health Canada. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval/handbook-guide/vol_4/mining-miniere-eng.php#5.3.4.2>.
Canadian Handbook on Health Impact Assessment - Volume 4: Health Impacts By Industry Sector. 2004. Health Canada. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval/handbook-guide/vol_4/management-gestion-eng.php>.
Globe and Mail 22 Apr. 2008. Recycling, German style. 22 Apr. 2008. The Globe and Mail. 04 Feb. 2009 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080422.green-recycle-0422/BNStory/greensolutions/home>.
Landfill. Dictionary.com. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Landfill>.
Landfill. 4 Feb. 2009. Wikipedia. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill>.
Landfills. 2 Apr. 2008. The Environmental Literacy Council. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/63.html>.
Pollution From Landfill. Investigating Rivers. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/rivers/gt%20stour%20case%20study-pages/plln-lfll.html>.
The Real Cost of "Free" Reusablebags.com. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=2>.
Recycling. 4 Feb. 2009. Wikipedia. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling>.
Sources of Methane - Landfill. 2006. GreenHouse Gas Online.org. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ghgonline.org/methanelandfill.htm>.